Cord locking means



y 4, 1953 1. LUNDSTROM CORD LOCKING MEANS Filed July 22, 1950 FIG].

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INVEN TOR.

Patented July 14, 1953 f OFFICE 2,645,284 com) LOCKING MEANS Ida. Lundstrom, St. Louis, Mo.

Application July 22, 1950, Serial No. 175,372

.2 Claims. (01. 160 339) This invention relates to an improved. and

simple locking device for curtain hardware.

The principle object of the invention is to provide novel means for locking the pull cord of a curtain rod supporting assembly when the latter is raised into proper position, said means being very dependable, simple in operation, and cheap 7 to manufacture. The dog type of cord locking mechanisms which are commonly used on Venetian blinds, have'been found unsatisfactory for curtain rod hardwaresince in looking they require a slight reversal of the cord thereby producing aslack which is objectionable in curtain hardware because it allows the curtain rod to sag. With my device, the curtain rod fixtures are firmly locked in position against their respective stops, and held there until intentionally released.

In the accompanying drawing: Figure l is a front view of my device with the right hand portion of the curtain rod removed in order to show the mechanism behind it. Figure 2 is a top view with the curtain rod in place; Figure 3 is a view of the locking device only as seen from the left hand side, the view being taken along line 3-3 in Figure 1; Figure 4 is a section through the locking device looking downward along the line 4-4 in Figure 1; Figure 5 is a view of the collar. or ringlet which is used in this device prior to its being collapsed inplace on the cord; Figure 6 is a view of the locking device showing the use of beaded chain in the portion of the cord engaging the locking device to eliminate wear at this point and to facilitate locking.

In Figure 1 of the accompanying drawing the lower lip 1 of the locking device is perforated as shown in Figure 4. The locking device is gen-' erally designated by the numeral 8 and also has an upper lip 9 which carries the guide holes l and H shown in Figure 2, and also forms the right hand bracket stop [2 with its guide hole l3. The cord 14 passes through the locking device and the upper lip with one end running to the right hand curtain rod carrier l5, and the other to the left hand curtain rod carrier [6, where these ends are secured by knots as shown. The left hand bracket stop is designated by the numeral IT. The assembly is mounted on the window trim l8 with screws as shown. The left hand and right hand portions of the cord are held together by the bucklet l9 which also forms a stop in lowering the curtain rod as the bucklet cannot pass through the perforation in the lip l.

The carriers I and I6 carry felt pads 20 and- 2| which are attached to the carriers by the lanced out fingers..22.. These felt pads prevent scarring of the window trim in raising and lowering'the curtain rod. The curtain rod 23 is attached to the carriers 15 and I6 as shown. The collars 24 which are made as shown in Figure 5 are attached to the cord [4 .by squeezing them.

Figure 1 shows the device with the curtain rod locked in its proper position, the collars 24 engaging the edges of the slots25 shown in Figure 4. To lower the curtain rod the operator pulls the suspended portion of the cord I4 toward the left which draws the collars from their engagement over intothe rounded portion 26 (Figure 4) of the perforation which is sufiiciently large to allow the collars 24 to pass through it. The curtain rod is thenlowered by allowing the suspended portion of the cord to pass upward throughthe perforations in the lip 1. The guide holes previously mentioned, are also large enough to allow the collars 24 to pass through them. These holes are preferably eyeletted or extruded to provide a smooth sliding surface to minimize wear on the cord. The curtain rod is raised into place by pulling on the suspended portion of the cord until the carriers come into contact with the bracket stops. The collars 24 will then be in position just below the lip 1 and the device is locked by moving the cord to the right. It may sometimes happen that both portions of the cord will enter one of the slots 25 but the device will lock securely in spite of this fact. The lip l as shown in Figure 1, slopes slightly upwardly to the right in order to prevent any accidental unlocking.

Obviously knots in the cord could be successfully substituted for the collars 24, but the use of collars is the preferred method.

Figure 6 illustrates how short portions of beaded, metallic chain 2'! may be usedin the cord [4 where it engages the locking fixture. This will increase the life of the cord and provide compensation for stretch in the cord without re adjusting the knots.

The drawing and description in this specification show one embodiment of the invention. Other embodiments may be made which come within the scope of the invention which is limited only by the claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a pull cord operable curtain rod assembly of the type described: the combination of a cord looped intermediate the ends thereof which are attached to horizontally spaced curtain rod carrier members included in said assembly; a bracket including a body portion secured to the lintel 3 member of a window frame; upper and lower inwardly projecting flanges and a lateral extension integral with said body portion; a pair of alined circular openings formed in said upper flange to the left of the vertical eenterline of said bracket;

a-single circular opening formed in said upper tending to'the left of said centerline; and a pair l of split collars removably aflixed to segments of:

said cord and adapted in the raised position of said assembly to engage the underside of saidlower flange portion, as thesegments o f cord immediately above said collar enter the elongated slot portions of the irregular opening aforesaid.

2. In combinatiorrwith acurtaini rod assembly including a pull. cordlooped. intermediate itSi'BIIdS', and a pair of horizontally spaced carriers which support between them a curtain rod or the like, means .for. maintaining said assembly horizontal in its uppermost position, said means comprising: a pair of abutment members each rigidlysecured atta predetermined pointto. said pull cord; a first bracket permanently secured adjacent the left end of the lintel portion of a window frame; an integral horizontal inwardly projecting upper flange portion on said bracket for limiting the upward movement of the first of said carriers; an opening in said flange portionfor passage therethrough of a first segment. of said cord the extremity of which is attached to said first carrier; a second bracket permanently secured adjacent the right end of said lintel portion; an

integral horizontal inwardly projecting upper flange portion on said bracket for limiting the upward movement of the second of said carriers; an opening in said flange portion for passage therethrough of said first cord segment and the abutment member thereto secured; a pair of spaced openings in said flange portion for passage therethrough of a second segment of said cord and the abutment member thereto secured, with the extremity'of. said segment attached to said second carrier; an integral substantially horizon tal lower flange portion on the bracket; and an irregular opening including a pair. of divergent elongatedislot portions merging into a relatively large circular portion formed in the said lower.

flange; each of said slot portions being wide enough for passage therethrough of segments of cord but not of the abutment members aforesaid, said circular portion being large enough for simultaneous passage therethrough of both cord segments; and the abutment members. thereto secured. Y Y f IDA LUNDSTROM;

References Cited-in the file of this patent UNITED STATESPATENTS Albrecht Oct. 22, 19.4.6 

